


The End of the World

by WriteForLife



Category: Aloners Visual Novel
Genre: Fluff, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-26
Updated: 2015-10-26
Packaged: 2018-04-28 05:14:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5079241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriteForLife/pseuds/WriteForLife
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which we meet all the relevant characters and the first hints of blooming romance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meetings

**Author's Note:**

> This story is inspired by the amazing visual novel "Aloners". I highly recommend the game, in case you can't tell....  
> ( More reviews and to download: http://www.englishotomegames.net/post/103654707776/aloners )
> 
> Word count:appx. 2600

"Thank God I don’t have a lot of stuff", Carlito thought, putting the last of his clothes away. "The move up from home could have been a much bigger pain in the ass."  
He pulled the shipping receipt out of his pocket, verifying that those things he couldn’t stuff in his backpack would be arriving in a couple days.  
"Can’t really haul much on a street bike." He looked at his watch. "Better get to work. Don’t want to disappoint Kayle by being late on my first day at the job he got for me."  
Granted, it was at the original location of the bar in Fall Creek, so he was friends with the owner, but this one was much bigger.  
He did a final check of his side of the dorm room, checked that he had everything he needed for work, and grabbed his helmet on his way out the door.  
The ride from the university to the bar turned out to be just under twenty minutes. The marquee on the front declared that tonight’s band was called ‘Legend’. He drove his bike around to the employee parking lot in back, noticing a flurry of activity around a big, black passenger van that was towing a utility trailer.  
He parked in the section reserved for motorcycles and headed over to where two men stood talking. One was a slender and tall, with well-defined muscles, but still managing to seem delicate, holding a clipboard. The other was a giant bear of a man, with wild hair and a wild beard. That had to be Giorgio. He approached the two, stopping at a respectful distance while they finished their conversation.  
The big man waved him over.  
“You must be Carlito! Kayle told me all about you.” He extended a hand, and Carlito took it, shaking the big man’s hand.  
Giorgio gestured to the person beside him.  
“This is Sari. Sari is the manager for tonight’s band.”  
“Pleased to meet you,” Carlito said, nodding.  
“And you,” Sari answered. The voice, though deep and smooth, was effeminate.  
“Saaariiiii….” A blond woman near the van whined.  
“I’d better go check on the children. Excuse me, gentlemen.” With a nod, Sari turned and headed toward the commotion.  
Giorgio put an arm around Carlito’s shoulders.  
“Come, my boy. Let’s get you situated so you can get to work.” The big man guided him into the bar, taking him first to the employee break room. There was a table and chairs in the center, a counter along one wall, with sink, fridge, and toaster oven. The opposite wall was lined with lockers with heavy locks hanging from them.  
“Let’s see which locker is open. Here, you can take number thirty-one. I have the spare key to your lock, in case that one gets lost. If you lose the second key, too, you have to buy the next lock.”  
Carlito put his wallet and keys inside his helmet, and slid the helmet inside the locker, secured the lock and slid the key into a pocket of his jeans.  
“Here’s the time clock. Just put your name on the top of a blank card, then slide it in the machine. Don’t worry about the days – just use the first available set of lines. Take a couple extra seconds to make sure the stamp is lined up correctly. It keeps the payroll lady happy. Since the payroll lady is my wife, I like to keep her happy, because it makes my life so much easier. Happy wife equals happy life. Remember that when you get married, eh? Whether you marry a man or a woman, the sentiment is the same.”  
He grinned widely, and Carlito couldn’t help but return it.  
“Yes, sir.”  
“Alright, let’s introduce you to your coworkers.” Giorgio led the way out into the bar proper.  
Carlito ran a nervous hand through his unruly brown curls as they walked.  
Their first stop was at the bar.  
“Jack and Annie are tending tonight. You can have whatever non-alcoholic drinks you want whilst you are on-shift. This is Carlito. He’s joining us from Oxnard, got accepted over at Sierra U.”  
“Hey,” Jack nodded his head.  
“Carlito, nice to meet you.” Annie smiled flirtatiously.  
“Annie…” Giorgio growled. He turned to Carlito. “Just so you know I frown on workplace romances, even friends with benefits. It just makes things too hard when the romance goes south.”  
“I can understand that,” Carlito agreed.  
“Good. We’ll head to the kitchen next. You’ll get one meal free while you’re on shift, though you are welcome to bring your own if you prefer. Oh, good. Everyone is here.”  
The kitchen and wait staff was gathered in a corner booth, going over what was available on tonight’s menu. Giorgio clapped his hands for attention.  
“Everyone, my apologies for interrupting. I’ll keep it brief. I just wanted to introduce your newest coworker. This is Carlito. He worked for Kayle down at Oxnard, but transferred here when he was accepted to the university.”  
As one, the group waved.  
An older woman stepped forward.  
“Welcome to the original Party Bar, Carlito. I hope you’ll be happy here. When you’re on break, come to the kitchen directly to put in your order.”  
He nodded his head.  
“Thank you. I will.”  
“Okay, Carlito. One more stop. I’ll introduce you to the team lead for the bouncers, and let you get to work. Come with me.”  
The two men walked to the front door, where half a dozen people were standing around a table.  
“Jenkins, here’s your new man. This is Carlito.”  
The man at the head of the table looked up and smiled. His teeth were brilliantly white against his dark skin.  
“Carlito. Welcome. Kayle’s told us good things about you, and I’m really glad you come to us already knowing what to do. This would be a bad night to have to train a noob. Come on into the circle here, and I’ll show you the game plan.”  
Giorgio slapped him on the back.  
“Have a good night, kid.”  
He walked back toward the office.  
“Legend is a very popular band here,” Jenkins explained. “There are plenty of people that only come when they’re playing, which is a double-edged sword. Great business, but a lot of extra jerks to deal with.”  
He pointed at a simple drawing of the building.  
“Skippy, you and Barnes will be on the door tonight. Alan, Josh, Peter, you three have the floor. Make sure you each take a swing at the ID stall to check on Suzy and Joe. Carlito, you’re going to be with me at the front of the stage to keep the crowds back, and stop stage jumpers. Any questions? No? Then get to work.”  
The group around the table broke up, and Jenkins gestured to Carlito.  
“C’mon. I’ll introduce you to the band.”  
They walked through the area with the tables and through the gated barrier that separated the seating area from the dance floor. Up on the stage, most of the band members were busy setting up their instruments, though one sat on the edge of the stage, a clipboard on her lap and phone in her hand. It looked like she was scrolling through some information.  
“Hey, Fae!” Jenkins called. “Sitting around as usual, I see.”  
The small woman looked up from her phone and grinned.  
'Wow…' Carlito stopped his vocal outburst, but his brain went right on admiring her, encouraging his heart to beat faster.  
'Cool it, dumbass.'  
“Jenkins. I could say the same to you, wandering around the bar. How’ve you been, you big jerk?”  
Jenkins laughed and grabbed Fae around her waist, swinging her around and setting her back on the stage.  
She flung her arms around his neck, laughing.  
“Damn it, J, I nearly lost my phone.” She swiped at the long strands of dark hair that had been flung into her face as they spun.  
“When are you gonna marry me?”  
“Just as soon as you turn straight.”  
Jenkins heaved a melodramatic sigh.  
“Fine.” He gestured Carlito forward.  
“This is Carlito. Tonight is his first night. He’s going to be joining me up here. Carlito, this is Fae. She’s the trouble maker.”  
Carlito held out his hand, not sure what to expect. Fae took his proffered hand in both of her small hands and squeezed, shaking a couple times before letting go. The nails were lacquered in a pearlescent, pale purple that echoed the color of her eyes.  
“Pleased to meet you. And, I’m sorry. It’ll be crazy tonight. Is this your first night ever as a bouncer, or just the first night here?”  
“First one here. I transferred over from the Party Bar in Oxnard when I got accepted at Sierra University.”  
“Awesome. Maybe I’ll see you around campus then.” She picked up her clipboard again as she stood up.  
His eyes widened a little.  
“You’re a student there?”  
“Most of us are. Part of the student community council, so I’m everywhere.” She rolled her eyes and smiled.  
“Hey, Fae!” One of her bandmates walked up behind her. “You got that set list done yet?”  
He glared down at her.  
“Nearly there. It takes a while to get through several hundred social media messages.”  
She met his glare with a smile and fluttering eyelashes on her part, and gestured to the men on the dance floor.  
“We have a new bouncer tonight. His name is Carlito.” She turned her head. “This is Neal. He’s the grump.”  
Neal waved at Carlito as he rolled his eyes at Fae.  
“Well, then what should I work on while I wait for you?”  
“Patience.”  
He stuck his tongue out at her.  
“Hey now. Don’t be making offers you aren’t prepared to follow through on, chuckles.”  
“Damn it. You always do that.” His entire head flushed red.  
“You always give me the opening.” She held the clipboard up. “Look, I’ve just got two more to do, and all three sets are filled. Just give me five more minutes.”  
“You’ve already filled out thirty-three of the thirty-five slots. You’ve only been working on it for a few minutes.”  
“Tch. Ye of little faith. How long have we been doing this? Have I ever let you down?”  
The guy shook his head as he walked away.  
“Firecracker,” he yelled over his shoulder.  
“Bang, bang, baby,” Fae retorted.  
Jenkins started laughing.  
“I swear, if I didn’t know better, I’d say the two of you were married.”  
“Oh, dear God, no!” Her face was horrified. “Working with him is enough, plus, I’m sure his current wife would disapprove.”  
Jenkins chuckled.  
“We’ll let you get back to work. I need to show Carlito the green room.”  
Fae smiled.  
“Okay. It was good to meet you, Carlito.”  
His heart skipped a beat when she said his name.  
“And you,” he replied, smiling, and followed Jenkins.  
“This is the other spot that we have to be concerned with. There’s always someone that tries to get back here and mess with shit,” he said, guiding Carlito down a narrow hallway off the back of the stage. “This is the only way to get in here from the bar itself, but there is an emergency door that leads out to the back parking lot. It can only be opened from the inside, but there are jackals that will sit outside and try to ambush the band. Again, it doesn’t happen often, but it happens nearly every time with these guys. From what I understand, they are in talks with a big record company to sign a major deal, and hangers-on want to try and ride their coattails.”  
The room they were in was large enough to hold four couches, with a big table in the middle, and some other tables along the walls. There were drinks in bottles and cans laid out on the tables, and some sitting in bowls of ice, and some sealed boxes and bags of snack food.  
“There will be hot food later, between sets. Is there anything else I can show you before we start to get serious?”  
“I think I’m good. What do we do next?”  
“Get some water, take a leak, and get ready for the hordes.” Strains of music and mike checks floated back into the room. “The hordes will start coming in in the next twenty minutes, and we’ll be on.”  
“Sounds like fun.”  
They headed back to the main part of the bar, taking care of their bodily needs while the band warmed up and made sure the sound was perfect.


	2. Music

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The concert.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 1890

The first patrons inside the bar claimed seats at the tables closest to the dance floor. Some of the women tried flirting with Carlito, attempting to get invited back to the green room. He smiled pleasantly and refused.  
Soon, though, the dance floor was crowded with excited people, singing along with the music overhead. They were in a good mood now, but, as the alcohol flowed, they began to get restless, stomping their feet on the ground and calling for the band, even though they weren’t scheduled to start for nearly half an hour.  
Carlito and Jenkins were in their positions at the front of the stage, in the small space created by the temporary barriers that had been set up. The space was only a couple feet wide, but ran along the entire length of the stage. Most of the space was taken up by some big speakers, but there was still a good fifteen feet that the two of them had to keep clear of patrons. Even without the band on stage, people were trying to jump up and get back to the green room.  
After the third person was pushed back into the crowd, a low, driving bass hum began. The crowd went wild, screaming. The colored lights started flashing, and a quick glance over his shoulder showed Carlito the band taking their positions.  
“Aren’t they early?”  
Jenkins nodded.   
“Yeah. Fae’s probably behind it.”   
The pulsing beat grew louder and stronger, and a man started singing.  
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement above him, and glanced up, seeing the bass player stepping up onto the top of the big speaker. It was Fae, and she was driving the beat, a huge smile on her face. It was a love song, but not slow and sappy. It had a tough, alternative edge.  
The song ended and the next one started. It was more rock and roll. Fae was still on bass, but she was also on lead vocals. He was surprised that such a powerful voice came from such a petite body. She danced between the tops of the speakers and the stage the whole time.   
“How’s everyone doin’ tonight?” she spoke to the crowd as she took her guitar off her neck and shoulder. She had changed into stage clothes, snug, low-cut jeans and a low-cut halter top, showing off the jewel that glittered in her navel. She wore shiny sandals and her midnight-black hair flowed past her waist.   
The crowd yelled their approval as the next song started. She stood in the center of the stage, clapping her hands. This song, about a girl kicking her cheating boyfriend to the curb, had a retro feel to it.  
Two more songs followed, and they took a brief moment to introduce the band, then a half dozen more songs. Fae sang most, but she changed out with the man who’d sung the first song.  
The first break came up.  
“Everyone having a good time so far?” Fae asked as her bandmates left the stage.  
The crowd yelled happily, and some guy yelled out his love for her.  
She pointed in the general direction of the voice.  
“And I love you too, random citizen. Here’s your first PSA of the night. Prevent a hangover tomorrow by drinking some water tonight. Also, we have a new EP, so head over to the merch table.”  
She left the stage with a wave, and the crowd relaxed a bit.   
“You gonna be okay for a minute?” Jenkins asked. “I’m gonna check the green room.”  
Carlito nodded, keeping his eyes moving back and forth along the crowd.  
Jenkins returned shortly and slapped him on the shoulder.  
“Go to the green room and grab some water, then come on back out.”  
Carlito nodded and jogged back. The band members were laughing and talking, all of them drinking water.  
Fae stood in front of a fan on a table, the moving air cooling her skin. A boy about five years old ran over and joined her.  
“Auntie Fae, catch me!” He yelled, jumping off the arm of the couch.  
Carlito choked, knowing there was no way he could get across the room in time, but he found he didn’t need to worry. Fae spun around and caught the kid, giggling, and they stood in front of the big fan, talking into it and laughing at the way it changed the sound of their voices.  
Letting out a low breath, he walked over to the table with the bottled waters and grabbed one, twisting off the lid and draining the bottle in seconds.  
“They’re not too wild out there tonight, are they?”  
Somehow, Fae had suddenly appeared beside him, placing bottles of water and soda in a basket.  
“No,” he shook his head. “You started early.” He ran a hand through his hair to cover his surprise. “What are you doing?”  
“Yeah. We’ve found that the crowds don’t get quite so rowdy if we get started as soon as possible. Good thing we’re all low-maintenance.” She winked and smiled. “Getting a basket ready to send out to the merch table. They won’t really have a chance to come in here until the show is done.”  
He chuckled.  
“I’d better get back to my post.”  
“See you out there.”  
He returned to his spot in front of the stage, and the next set started a couple minutes later. This set was filled with mostly upbeat love songs, some with a more electro-pop feel, some closer to a country vibe. They had a wide range of music types, and he was surprised at how well they harmonized.

The second break came quickly. Jenkins sent him back first this time. Hot food had been delivered, and the band was filling their plates.  
“Still doing alright out there?” Fae asked, opening a can of soda.  
“Yeah. Only had to toss a couple drunks back over the barrier.” He grinned, then blushed as his stomach growled.  
Fae smiled and handed him a plate, pushing him toward the food.  
“Help yourself.”  
He was unsure, hesitating.  
“It’s really okay. More will be delivered in a couple minutes, so J will get some, too. I know it’s not SOP, but you two don’t really have a chance to take a break, and three-ish hours in front of the stage is a long time. By the time you get everyone cleared out, the kitchen will be closed. So eat. Same thing next break. For the duration of the show, you and J are de facto band members. So, help yourself.”  
“Okay, but only if you promise not to make me sing.”  
Her laughter made his heart do a strange little dance as he put some food on his plate and began wolfing it down.  
He popped open a can of soda, guzzled it down, and then grabbed a bottle of water as he headed out to take up his position again, sending Jenkins back.  
True to her word, as he exited the narrow hallway, two more platters of food were being carried down the hall toward the room.  
The third set started hard and ended hard. The crowd started to thin a little, with a few people either having heard the songs they wanted to hear, or not realizing that the band planned an encore set. The break between the third set and encore set was only a couple minutes, and the encore set only consisted of half a dozen slower songs.  
At the end, Fae reminded the crowds to call for rides if they didn’t have a designated driver, to tip their waitresses well, and to avoid being jerks, and wished them all a good night.   
About ten minutes later, the band came out and began tearing down the stage, packing their instruments and amps, putting away the equipment that belonged to the bar, and then helping to pack up the band merchandise table. While they were there, the fans that were still there came up, asking for photos and autographs.  
“Stick close for this part,” Jenkins said. “Most of them are good people, but there’s always some jackass that takes things too far.”  
Carlito witnessed what he was talking about when one guy tried to grope Fae during a photo. She would move his hand to an acceptable position on her waist, and he’d slide it back down to cup her ass. After the third time, Carlito stepped forward, his voice low and irritated as he grabbed the guy’s hand.  
“Keep your hands where I can see them,” he growled.   
“Thank you,” Fae sighed after Groper had left. “There’s always one.”  
“No problem,” he smiled in response.   
The last attendee finally left. Everything had been packed into the van, and the band had made sure they hadn’t left a mess in the green room before heading out. Carlito and Jenkins escorted them out, watching as the trailer lights winked out of sight around the building.  
“What do you think of your first night?” Jenkins asked as they went back into the bar to help with clean-up.  
“Pretty exciting,” Carlito answered. “I have to say, though, that I’ve never been called a band member.”  
“Yeah. These guys are definitely a little different than the usual band. Most of them are nice enough, but they’re sort of their own little clique. Legend drags you into their little circle. I think a couple of them used to be bouncers, so they know what the job entails. I don’t know, really. That’s just my personal theory.”  
He winked conspiratorially.   
“You seemed to hit it off pretty well with Fae.”  
Carlito blushed.  
“I’ve never known a girl like her,” he acknowledged.  
“And, since you both go to the university, you have the chance to get to know her better. Think you will?”  
Carlito shrugged.  
“I don’t know. Probably.”  
Jenkins smiled.  
“It’s your choice. I would, if I were straight.”  
The final clean-up went smoothly. Carlito went into the employee break room and clocked out, opening his locker and pulling out his helmet and wallet.  
“So, how was your first night?” Giorgio had come into the room and sat at the table.  
“It was great,” Carlito said.  
“Good,” Giorgio’s smile was warm and fatherly. “I’m glad you’re here to be part of our family. If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to come and talk to me.”  
He held out a hand, and Carlito took it.  
“Thank you, Giorgio,” he said, shaking the older man’s hand firmly. “I appreciate it, more than you know.”  
The other man smiled.   
“The schedule for the week will be out tomorrow afternoon. What is your school schedule like?”  
“Most of my classes don’t start until ten in the morning, except on Friday. I have a geography class that starts at eight. It was the only option.”  
“Okay. As much as possible, we’ll avoid scheduling you on Thursday nights. That shouldn’t be too hard. Now go home and get some sleep.”  
“Thank you. I will. Night.”  
He left out the back entrance, securing his helmet before he pulled out of the parking area.


	3. Class

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First class together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 1387

Friday dawned bright and early. He hadn’t had to work last night, but had been up late getting some physics homework done.  
      He yawned as he walked out the door of the dormitory, pulling his ball cap low over his eyes.  
      “Da-yum,” he swore softly, wincing as the bright light pierced his eyes painfully.  
      He was a little disappointed that he hadn’t yet seen Fae this week, though he wasn’t surprised, what with several hundred other students on campus.  
      There were a few other students out walking to their classes. A couple girls smiled at him, one actually giving him her number.     
      He looked at the slip of paper in his hand for a minute, tossing it in a garbage can as he walked past.  
      No time for that, he thought, shuddering as he recalled the girl that had nearly ruined his life. He grinned to himself.  
      'Not unless it’s Fae…'  
He reached the building he was looking for, and went inside, looking for his classroom.  Upon reaching it, he found he still had nearly half an hour.  
      “Nap time!” He grinned and slid into a random seat, pulling the brim of his hat down over his eyes. He was asleep in moments.  
   
      There were still some 20 minutes before class was supposed to start. The professor wasn’t here yet, though one other student, apparently asleep, was.   
      She took a seat in an aisle, some ways away from the sleeping student, and pulled out her laptop, opening it to the disclosure for this class.  This teacher was a known hard ass, and, for some reason, had a thing for team or group projects.  
      Of course this would be the only geography class left. This is what happens when you are on vacation during the time of the school year when you are supposed to be signing up for classes. Oh well. It was worth it to win the trophy from that jerk.  
She opened the email her friend Sari had sent, marked ‘Urgent’, shaking her head.  
      “Everything’s urgent.”  
      “What’s that?”  
      The sleeper had awoken and moved to the chair beside her own.  
      She turned to meet his gaze, immediately biting back the snarky response at the sight of leaf-green eyes and curly brown hair.  
      “Long time, no see,” she said, smiling.  
      “I was wondering if I was actually going to see you,” he answered.  
      “Has Giorgio been keeping you busy this week?”  
       “Fairly. The crowds haven’t been as big or rowdy so far.”  
       “Friday and Saturday nights are the biggest nights. There’s almost always a live band those nights, plus it’s the weekend for most people. How are your classes so far?”  
       “Not bad. Physics is going to be a tough one, though.”  
       “Oh, yes. Professor Carlton is a hoot, though. Have you been able to find all of your classes? I know that most of the math classes had to be moved, but they explained that at the new student orientation last week. Were you here for that?”  
                 
       “No. I was still moving.  Got a map, though.”  He pulled a much-folded piece of green paper from a pocket. It was covered with marks that she could only assume were his personal shorthand for his class schedule.   
       She noticed an issue right off.  
       “This is an old map,” she said. “Are these markings your classes?”  
       “Yes.”  
       “Okay. This building here is no longer usable. During the last earthquake, it was shifted off its foundation to the point that it’s been condemned.  Which class is this?”  
      “Calculus.”  
      “All of the math classes have been moved to the Maxwell building, which is on the opposite end of the campus.”  
      “Well, hell. Now I’m going to have to re-plan my entire route that day.”  
      “Which day is that class?”  
      “Today. Right after this one.”  
      “Math on Friday. No fun, unless you get all the work done in class.”  
      He shrugged.  
       “It’s all that was available. Do you have a better suggestion?”  
       She smiled, pulling up a map of the campus.  
       “Go out the doors at the north end of this building. There’s a shuttle stop right there, and the shuttle will get you to the Maxwell building in 5 minutes. It’s the third stop from here.”  
       “Nice.” He smiled, causing her heart to skip a beat.  “Is that the disclosure for this class?”  
       “Yeah. I understand this teacher is a big fan of group projects. And something of a stickler for the rules.”  
        He chuckled.  
       “Of course. “  
        She went back to her computer screen, clicking to bring the email forward and read it, and her phone rang.  
        “Sorry, I better take this or she’s going to call all class period.”  
        “No problem.”  
         She slid her finger across the screen, answering the call.  
         Carlito sat back in his chair, trying to watch her without looking like he was watching her. She was easily the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Her hair was so black it was almost blue, her eyes a strange blue-purple, and when she smiled, it seemed the whole world lit up.  Plus, she was kind, to boot. It had been his experience thus far that the two often didn’t go hand-in-hand.  He was willing to bet that her skin was every bit as soft as it looked, and his fingers ached to stroke it.  
Honestly, he was a little shocked at himself. He usually wasn’t so bold where the female sex was concerned, but he’d felt drawn to her, the instant he laid eyes on her. This morning, it was as though an outside force had drawn him from his nap, dragged him from his chair, and plopped him beside her.  
'And a great many thanks to whatever force did that', he thought, smiling as he came back to the present moment.  
“Well, I’m available Sunday, as long as it’s not terribly early. I have work Saturday night. But who else? He’s dropped out. He’s on vacation. What about Tia? What? When did that happen?”  She sighed, rubbing her eyes with the thumb and forefinger of her free hand. “Hell’s bells.”  
“Problems?”  He was grinning, one eyebrow raised.  
She rolled her eyes him, shaking her head, then her gaze shot back to his.  
“I realize we’ve known each other for all of 10 minutes, but would you be available for a couple hours on Sunday, for a school project?” She covered the phone’s microphone. “It’s alright if you say no, I promise I won’t take it personally.”  
“Nah, I’m good. As long as it’s not too early Sunday. I work late Saturday night.”  
“Seriously?”  
“Sure. Why not?”  
“Thank you,” she almost sighed, placing a small hand on his arm and squeezing briefly before lifting the hand away and returning to her phone call.  
A shot of electricity ran up his arm from where she touched him.  
'Glad  I kept my cool', he though, hoping that he had, in fact, kept his cool.  
“Okay. We’re good for Sunday, not before 11. Noon would be better. Tch. No, you owe Carlito. He’s the one kind enough to agree to this. I’ve gotta go, Sari. Class is about to start. Yes, I’ll bring it Sunday. I’ll go home and get it all ready today. Goodbye.” She ended the call, putting the phone on silent and tucking it into her messenger bag.  
“Sorry,” she said. “So, would you like to know what you just volunteered for?”  
“Sure. I can see how that might be a good thing.”  
“My dear friend has decided that it would be a good idea to have a video on the student info webpage that works as a de facto guide for new students. If all new students are being given that old map that you got, it might actually be a good idea.”  
“Cool. Sounds like fun.”  
More students had been entering the room and taking seats, and the instructor walked in.  
“Electronics away, please,” he announced in a clipped manner.  
Carlito waggled his eyebrows at Fae, causing her to laugh as she put her laptop away and took out a notebook and pencil.


	4. Nice Bike

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting a little closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word count: 2422

Sunday morning, the sun was bright and the sky was achingly blue. Carlito walked across the quad to the big central fountain, where he would be meeting Fae and her friend. They had decided on noon, so he was a little early. It was a quiet day, with the fountain as the only sound.  
His phone rang, and he opened it up to answer it.  
“Hey, Mama. I’m good. How are you? And all the rugrats? Right. The text.”  
After class had ended Friday, Fae had escorted him out to the shuttle stop, discovered that he didn’t yet have his student ID card, and took him to the admin building, getting his card and an updated map for him. She then rode the shuttle with him to the Maxwell building, wishing him luck in his next class. While he'd walked to his class, he’d texted his mother.  
“Met ‘her’, Mom. The woman I’m going to spend the rest of my life with.”  
He could have kicked himself for that, because he knew what would happen as soon as she had the chance.  
“No, I was pretty serious. Still am, but it’s going to take a little bit. I only met her a week ago Friday. No, Mom. That would have been creepy, but, after today, I will send you a link to a video that I’m helping her make. No! Mom, it’s not that kind of video. It’s a guide for students new to Sierra University. It was total luck. Okay, fate. She’s drop-dead gorgeous, Mom. Not just physically. She’s kind, and her smile lights up a room. NO, I’m not going to do anything stupid. I’m going to do this right.”  
His attention was caught by a low-slung motorcycle driving along the wide sidewalks toward the fountain. It stopped, and the black leather clad rider immediately cut the engine and pushed the kickstand down with the heel of one booted foot, making certain the bike was resting securely before climbing off.  
Carlito began walking around the fountain toward the driver, who was in the process of removing their helmet.  
“Holy shit!” He breathed, forgetting he still had his mother on the line.   
The dark, full-face helmet was removed to reveal Fae, dark hair in a thick braid down her back, the leather hugging and accentuating every curve of her body.  
“Oh, sorry, Mama. I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later. Love you.”  
He closed the phone and stuck it in a pocket, walking over to meet Fae as she unzipped her jacket and draped it across the seat of her bike.  
“Hey,” he called.  
She turned and smiled at him.  
“Hey, yourself. How was calculus?” She stepped over to the saddle bags and opened them, pulling out equipment cases.  
“Pfft. Math. Anything I can help with?”  
She handed him a larger case.   
“Will you put this over by the fountain?”  
“Sure.” He took the case and did as asked. She followed with two smaller cases, then returned to her bike, putting her helmet and jacket into the now-empty saddlebags.  
“Nice wheels. What’s all this stuff?”  
“Thanks. I like it. All the cameras,” she answered, returning to take a seat on the side of the fountain. She pulled the bigger, hand-held camera out of its case, making certain it turned on and the storage chip was empty. “Sari will be using this one.”  
She opened one of the smaller bags, taking out two pairs of slim electronic glasses, handing one pair to him.  
“You and I will be wearing these, so those viewing the video will have an in-person view.”  
“Cool.” He slid his pair on, settling the viewing box into a spot that wouldn’t be terribly annoying.  
She pulled a couple of tiny, wire microphones out of the bag, hooking one over the post of his glasses.   
Gods, please send me the strength to control myself, he thought. She stood between his knees, her face so close to his as she got the microphone positioned where she wanted it, he could have kissed her without much trouble.  
She straightened up, fiddling with her own microphone, and stepped away, returning to the smaller bags, pulling a blue box from the second bag. She pushed the power button and waited for it to stop flashing, then put an earphone in one ear.   
“Turn your glasses on,” she said, flipping a tiny switch on top of one ear post. He followed suit, watching the tiny view screen flash to life.   
“Try to keep whatever you’re looking at centered in the little screen,” she said, adjusting her microphone as she spoke. “Alright, say something.”  
“Something,” he croaked.   
She gave him a look that said, “Really?”  
“So, what’s the plan for all this?”  
She set the box down and stood, returning to fiddle with his microphone.  
“I don’t know what all Sari has planned, but the gist of it is that we’re going to travel around the campus, pointing out the buildings and what classes are held there, pointing out the major landmarks, the short cuts, the shuttle stops. Things that will make life easier. If you have any suggestions, feel free to make some. Sari and I have been here for a couple years now, it’s pretty much old hat for us.”  
He nodded, breathing deeply to keep himself calm.  
“Is that Sari?” He asked, watching a little green Vespa scooter motor up the sidewalk toward the fountain.  
Fae turned around.  
“Yep, that’s her. “   
“And here we have the arrival of the director,” she spoke into the microphone. “Late, as usual.”  
Carlito stood next to her, watching the tall, dark-skinned woman climb off her scooter. Carlito kept his smile neutral. This was the same person that had been a man at the bar, the band manager. Today, Sari was dressed in a long, flowing dress, a shawl around her shoulders.   
She nodded at him, extending a hand. “Nice to see you again. Thank you for your help today.”  
She turned to Fae.  
“Laugh if you want. Genius cannot be rushed.”  
He shook her hand, which was nearly as big as his own, with perfectly manicured nails.  
“My pleasure,” he answered.   
“Okay,” Sari said, turning to include Fae. “I put in calls to all the campus groups and clubs. Most of them are going to have visual jokes set up around the campus, though most of them won’t be ready til 3-ish.”  
“Great. How many Sasquatches are we going to be filming?”  
“No idea. What I was thinking, though, is that we can do the first walkthrough, not worrying too much about the sight gags, then you can ride your bike around afterward, getting all of them in one long shot.”  
“That would work. Then those that put in some unexpected work time will be sure to get a split second in the video.”   
“Great. Let’s do this.”  
The three of them got to work, creating their guide. This part took a couple of hours. They broke for a late lunch – Sari had prepared a picnic.   
It was nearly 3 by the time they had eaten and cleaned up.   
“How are we going to get this last part done?” Sari asked. I’m not driving or riding that monster of yours, and we won’t both fit on my scooter.”  
“Well, we can mount the hand-held camera on the front, like so.” Fae snapped the camera into place. “It’ll be set on a wide view. The problem will be with the glasses. You’re not really supposed to drive and wear them, because of the distraction factor.”  
“I could drive,” Carlito offered. “You would know better what’s out of place than me. I can concentrate on driving; you can concentrate on getting all the silliness.”  
Fae frowned and nodded. “That will work, as long as everyone is within the confines of the campus itself. We can go out to the edge and spiral inward, ending up here.”  
She took the microphone off her glasses.  
“The bike will drown out any audio, so we won’t even worry about that.”  
Carlito handed his set of glasses, microphone still attached, over to Fae to be placed in their bag.  
“I’ll watch all of this stuff,” Sari said. “Don’t crash, because you know I can’t make a movie to save my life.”  
Fae handed Carlito the key to the bike and he climbed on, starting it up, while she fiddled with the camera attached to the front of the bike.  
“This one is set and running,” she said, walking around and climbing on behind him. She fiddled with the set on her head, then leaned forward, sliding her right arm around his chest.  
“All set here. Head out toward the main road,” she pointed with her free hand. “Hang a left, and we’ll go from there.”  
He nodded, swallowing hard a couple of times before he could speak. The feel of her body pressed against his was almost more than he could take.  
“How slow can this thing go and still be steady?”  
“About 20 miles an hour.”  
“Alright. We’re off.”  
This round of filming didn’t take nearly as long, though the look on the faces of his dorm-mates as he drove by were hilarious. He started chuckling at all the dropped jaws, their basketball bouncing into the grass, forgotten.  
“What’s so funny,” she asked over his shoulder.  
“Those guys are all in my dorm. The really tall one is my roomie. And the green bike there is mine.”  
“Nice. We’ll have to go riding some time.”  
“It’s a deal.”  
They finished their last lap and returned to the fountain, where Sari sat reading a book. She looked up at the sound of the approaching bike.  
“All finished?”  
“Yes. It went well.” Fae waited until Carlito had shut off the bike and set up the kickstand before she started moving. She sat up, taking the glasses off and handing them to Sari, who put them in their case.  
His phone started ringing, and he pulled it out of his pocket.  
“You better answer that one,” Fae observed over his shoulder. “Never ignore your mom.”  
He laughed and nodded. “You must have met my mother.” He flipped the phone open.  
“Mom? Is everything okay?” He listened for a minute and laughed. “Yes, Mom. I’m still alive. I haven’t been kidnapped and sold into slavery.”  
He turned to Fae. “I’m really sorry, but she says she would feel better if she could see your face.”  
She smiled. “Hang on, let me get my phone.”   
“Just a minute, Mama. You’ll have a picture.” He drew in a sharp breath as one of her arms snaked around his right shoulder and her chin rested on his left shoulder, the other arm holding her phone out at arm’s length, trying to get a good angle on the both of them.  
“Let me,” Sari said, taking the phone and switching the camera. “Carlito, run a hand through your hair real quick. You look like you just stuck a finger in a power socket. That’s better.”  
She snapped a couple pictures and handed the phone back to Fae.  
“You want these via email or text?” Her chin was still on his shoulder, both of her arms around him.  
“Can you do both?” He turned his head toward her a little.  
“Sure. Text first. What’s your number?”   
He recited his number, watching as she typed it in, and realized that his mother was yelling at him.  
“What? Oh, hang on. My mother would like to ask if you would send it straight to her, as well.”  
Fae gave a short laugh. “Sure. What’s her number?”  
He recited that number, then his email address, and her phone dinged, indicating that it had sent all of the files.  
Sari had removed the camera from the front of the bike and packed it in its case by the time Fae and Carlito finally climbed off the bike.   
“How long do you think it will take to have the video completed?” Sari asked.  
“Probably most of the week. There are several hours of raw footage to go through, then I’ll have to splice it, add in the map and some background music, and Monday through Thursday are my full class load days, so I’m only going to have evenings around homework.”  
“Sounds good. I’d rather have a quality product than a fast one.” She walked over to her scooter and climbed on, starting it up.  
“Again, thank you both. I’ve got some homework to get finished this evening, myself, so I will take my leave. Have a good night.”  
She pulled away, puttering down the sidewalk.  
Fae took Carlito’s hands in her own.  
“Thank you, again, for your help. Sari won’t show it, but this meant a lot to her.”  
He squeezed her hands in return.  
“It really was my pleasure. I learned a lot, and will be able to make it to my classes much easier, trolled my roommates, and got to spend a beautiful afternoon with two lovely ladies. Not bad for being the new guy.”  
Her blush was adorable, and she tried to hide it by putting on her jacket and zipping it closed.  
“Hey, you want to go get some coffee or something?” He really didn’t want this time to end.  
She looked like she was about to say ‘no’, then changed her mind.  
“You know where the Purple Turtle Tavern is?”  
“Yeah, passed it on my way into town.”  
“Meet me there in thirty minutes?”  
“Sure. Why thirty minutes?”  
“I’ve got to get this footage uploading to my computer so I can make this video, but it will take a couple hours for everything to transfer from the portable drive.”  
“See you in thirty, then.” He smiled and took a couple steps back as she climbed on her bike and started the engine.  
“I’ll be there.” She secured her helmet, pulled on her gloves, and stood the bike upright, to release the kickstand, and pulled away.  
He watched as she drove down the sidewalk, turning right as she got to the main street, and disappeared into the flow of traffic.


End file.
